Thursday, 25 July 2013

The only "rule" was that the bags must be designed with a travel theme. This was to be a partnered swap, in which you will know who your partner is. When partners are assigned you communicate to your swap partner what country, vacation activity, resort or travel theme you would like, and anything else you think they should know such as " I like the colour blue" Pick 3 choices- so that they have some leeway according to what they may have in their stash.

So, for example- I might say I'd like a Beach, British or Mountains theme- then my swap partner comes up with a tote bag that incorporates one** of those three themes:

a Beach idea could include beach umbrellas, beach balls, flip flops, ice cream, or maybe just cool blue water with fish!

a British theme might be a Union Jack, tea cups, corgis, or the Beatles or Dr. Who...

The mountains -think cabins, lakes, fishing, or perhaps you might make a traditional quilt block with a mountain theme.

My swap partner was from America and like a theme bag to represent travelling. So I looked at her pinterest boards and came up with a traveling Europe bag.

My choice of bag was " I don't mind surprise me". So off to work we went. I had so much fun making this bag, but I was a bit worried I made it too big!

So here is the bag I made for my swap partner;

Here we have a lighthouse to guide you on your travels, off to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, then off to the beach to relax and then to Holland to see the Dutch Windmills. Pinwheel design is to represent windmills.

Then we travel to London, back across the sea, over to Greece for some Olives and back to France for relaxing in a café enjoying the sights.

This is mine from my swap partner and is represents all my friends from around the world and I love it.

Oh mine was not too big either, my swap partner loved it!!!!!We all had such fun making bags for each other. To see all the bags made pop over to Threadbias.Thanks for stopping by........ See you SooonnnKeep sewing !!!!!

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

I have been making bread, lots of bread. In June my little sister and I did a two day bread course. Which was lots of fun.

On our first day we made Malted Fruit Bread and Rich Bread Plait. Then the following week we made Pitta Breads and Easy Bread Loaf.

Since then all I have been doing is batch baking bread, its so easy. Our teacher explain that you don't need it to be hot in the kitchen, yeast will grow in the cool. So if you make your bread in the evening and put it in a bag and fridge it, the bread will rise over night, then just cook the bread that day. SIMPLE!!!!!!!

So here is the recipe for the Easy Bread Loaf.

Ingredients;

500g granary, strong wholewheat or white flour.

7g of fast action dried yeast or fresh if you have it.

1 teaspoon of salt.

2 tablespoons of olive oil.

1 tablespoon of clear honey.

300ml hand warm water.

2lb loaf tin.

Method;

Tip the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and mix together with your hands. Stir 300ml hand hot water with the honey and oil, then stir into the dry mixture.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 10 minutes. ( if your hand are sticky with dough rub a little flour onto them.)

Oil the loaf tin and put the dough in the tin, pressing it out evenly. Put in a large plastic food bag and leave to rise. Once it has risen to the size of the tin ( and a bit more, mine looked like a giant mushroom) and it no longer springs back its ready for the oven.

Heat the oven to 200C OR 180C for fan ovens or gas 6. Then bake in the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes. Tip it out onto a cooling tray and tap the base of the bread to check it is cooked. It should sound hollow. Leave to cool and enjoy.

Now this bread will last for 2 days easily. (Ha! Ha! Ha! not when everyone smells it cooking)

If you want to make a large loaf of bread just double the ingredients.

So far I have made white bread, wholemeal bread, granary bread, wholemeal with seeds bread, all using this recipe. And I have made white rolls with the recipe. All I did was to cut the dough into 8 pieces, round to make a ball shape then place on to a large baking tray, cover with a large food bag and left it to rise. Cooked it at the same. They came out as crusty rolls..... delicious.

Try it and let me know how you get on...

Thanks for stopping by ... see you soon and lets all make bread!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

As you may already know I am holding a peg bag swap on Threadbias. The swap sign up closes on the 29th July 2013 and the swap beginnings on the 1st August. So far there is 5 of us taking part, from all over the world, which is good.

So I thought I would show you the Peg Bags I have made for my mum and sister. I made four in total, two of each design and showed them all the bags at the same time. ( that way no one argues )

My two little nieces like the bags also so they had one each too, now my sister has to put up washing lines from them to hang out their washing. ( So cute!!!!!!)

The top three went to my sister and the bottom one went to my mum, but she has asked for another one as all her pegs don't fit in........... My mum is the only person I know who has over 100 pegs in her peg bag!!! I would not mind but there is only two people she needs to wash for and you can only get 25 piece of clothes on her round washing line......... Strange!!!!

Monday, 8 July 2013

June has been a strange month, it all started so well, lots of things to do and lots to share.

Until "life stopped by, for a reality check" Nothing major no lives were in danger, just my washing machine!!!! I killed it, big time!! It has gone to the recycle bin. Simple I thought just buy a new one! This is were life gives you a kick up the bum and three washing machines later!!!!

Long story short, I found a shop that I could collect a washing machine, Hooray !!!! only took three hours on the internet.

Washing machine arrived home in the back of my car, unloaded, unwrapped and a big dent in the back. Phoned the shop, took it back, so sorry here is a new one. Got home unloaded, unwrapped and got to work. Why!!!! only two days without a washing machine does the laundry baskets look like I have not washed clothes for weeks?????

Six days later it broke, phoned their repairs department to have it fixed, the next available day for an engineer was 5 days away. So phoned the shop took it back the next day and third washing machine later its working.

HOORAY!!!!!!

Right, June's quilt around the world block, the Queen for the month lives in Australia and asked us to make the quilt block called "Scrappy Trip Along".

I have never made this block before, but enjoyed very minute, Why I hear you ask, because we were asked to do it out of Christmas fabric. Yes, you have read correctly CHRISTMAS..........

So off I went ot my fabric trays and found my Christmas fabric( it has its own drawer)I chose 6 pieces of fabric including red as asked for and then cut 6, 2inch squares from each one, totalling 36 small squares.

Here they are all laid out, the bottom row is sewn together.

Finished.It was such a lovely block to put together, never done this block before, but I shall now. Can't wait to see this quilt completed, its for Christmas , if you have not guessed! The red is to symbolize Santa rushing around the world to complete his Christmas run before the children wake. So cute!!Then to go with this quilt block we were asked to make a label, for the back of the quilt. A little keepsake for years to come. This is how it was made; 3 squares of fabric, ( Christmas of course) You will need to cut one 3.5″ square of solid white fabric, and two 2.5″ squares of your Christmas fabric.

On the backs of each of your patterned squares, draw a line from one corner to the opposite corner This will guide your sewing line.

Line up your patterned squares face down on the corner of your solid square. Make sure that your corners are flush and that the line you drew touches the edges of the white square. If you want to be on the safe side, have them line up so that they are just past the edge of the white square. Sew along the drawn line.Trim your fabric for a 1/4″ seam allowance.Repeat for the other side. I then embroidered my name but you can write it using a permanent pen.

Now they have been sent off to Australia.Thank-you for stopping by, sorry for taking so long to blog, life just gets in the way sometimes!!!! or should I say "washing machines"I have so much to tell.... see you soon ......Keep sewing